As instructional designers create courses, they rarely have the luxury of working at their own pace, and incorporating the elements they feel are truly needed. The reality is that most of the time, instructional designers have to work around pressing deadlines, and under a tight budget. Yet, they are still expected to deliver quality courses. Regardless of the time, or monetary constraints, course designers should consider the following five elements: ISD methods and principles – As we all know, ADDIE is the most popular ISD model; however, many instructional designers prefer a more rapid approach, so they tend to use the RID model instead. Yet, there are other designers who use a combination of different models and approaches. When you select the model to use for designing a particular eLearning course, be sure to shape it around your learning objectives. Language – The language you use in your eLearning course is your key to success. The rule of a tomb is to avoid … [Read more...] about 5 Considerations for Designing Amazing ELearning Courses
instructional design
Instructional Design for ELearning Course
Two months ago, I announced the launch of my Instructional Design for eLearning Course. Unlike many other generic courses available on the subject, this course has been designed from ground-up, and takes a down-to-earth, practical approach to Instructional Design in an eLearning context. Whether you are an aspiring Instructional Design professional, new to the field of designing eLearning content, an instructional design guru looking to familiarize yourself with the latest developments and best practices of the industry, or a Human Resource specialist– you’ll find this course an invaluable resource. Based on my highly popular book on the subject, the course has been specifically structured to: Explore the basics of online learning theories, principles, techniques and methodologies Help you develop highly personalized eLearning content to meet the unique needs of your students/learners Enable you to master the skills needed for producing highly interactive eLearning courses … [Read more...] about Instructional Design for ELearning Course
ELearning Gamification Techniques That Work!
As eLearning specialists, we always look for ways to make our courses fun and engaging. Many eLearning specialists find that by gamifying their courses they can achieve the desired outcome and increase content retention. In this article, we will look at some of the popular gamification techniques. Narrative – This is the key to successful gamification. Not only that narratives tell stories, but they also offer real life examples that help learners understand main concepts that games are trying to teach. The art of storytelling is the main challenge that instructional designers face here. Not only that they need to think of a plot relevant to what is being taught, but they also have to incorporate protagonists and antagonists to ensure proper flow of the game. Rules – Just like any other type of activity, games must have rules. Without rules, learners will not know what to do and what to expect. Instructional designers should make sure that all the instructions are clear … [Read more...] about ELearning Gamification Techniques That Work!
How to Effectively Use Video in ELearning
Instructional Designers always look for ways to make their courses fun and engaging. Adding video is the best way to involve learners in their learning process. Video is a great way to teach behavioral skills, demonstrate techniques, and provide excellent performance support. When creating instructional videos, it is important to look at them as if they were commercials. As we all know, the main goal of any commercial is to catch people’s attention quickly. However, it is equally important to keep one’s attention on the desired subject. Commercials usually reach that goal in less than 3 minutes by appealing to people’s emotions. Including short, thought-provoking chunks of information in your videos is much more memorable than creating long videos and covering all the material at once. In fact, it is best not to use video throughout the entire course as it may overwhelm your learners. Instead, include it at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the course. A short introductory … [Read more...] about How to Effectively Use Video in ELearning
Leveraging Performance Support Tools and “Just In Time” Training
Today, I want to talk about Performance Support. As we all know, the main difference between training and Performance Support is that training is trying to fill the gap between the missing and the needed knowledge while the Performance Support tools provide on the job support when it is needed. Unlike training, which often includes some of the “nice to know” information, Performance Support tools offer “just enough” assistance to get the job done. Naturally, Performance Support can be either Electronic (EPSS) or Paper-based. Instructional designers have been developing quick reference guides and job aids to supplement their training courses for ages. Nowadays, most of us are used to having the information available to us when we need it at any time and place. This is where the Electronic Support System comes in handy. Many EPSSs offer a contextual, step-by-step, immediate solution to people’s needs. When instructional designers conduct their initial meeting with the client, they … [Read more...] about Leveraging Performance Support Tools and “Just In Time” Training
Instructional Design for Technical Training
Let’s face it, developing technical training is not easy. It’s much easier to design a course about Sexual Harassment than about a new software that has just been released. However, many companies want to train their employees on using new tools or applications, and those who understand the importance of high quality training, hire professional designers to create the most effective and instructionally sound training solutions. Unfortunately, many instructional designers create technical training the same way they design all other training courses. The problem, however, is that the goal of any technical training is not to “show and tell” (even in the interactive manner), but to “practice and do.” Teaching learners how to use a new tool or application is not enough as doing so will not help you achieve the ultimate goal of a training program, which is to help learners obtain new knowledge and skills. In fact, if you teach your learners how to use the tool, they will most likely leave … [Read more...] about Instructional Design for Technical Training